Learning objectives
At the end of the course, students are expected to be able:
- to understand the importance of animating a public space for environmental discussion; to recognise the multiple actors involved in public debate and the different forms of communication used (texts, images, gestures and actions); to recall the main changes in the evolution of political and environmental communication.
- to apply the content learnt and carry out an accomplished analysis of different materials (texts, speeches, photographs, videos, etc.) with regard to statements and content, narrative styles, emotional dimensions and reference values.
- to autonomously, reflexively and rigorously interpret, evaluate and criticise different forms of public communication in the environmental field.
- to communicate and compare one's own ideas and opinions in a public debate, recognising the complexity and legitimacy of different points of view, without giving up one's own.
- to participate more consciously and with more critical tools in public life, preparing themselves to assume their responsibilities in the face of the most important political and environmental issues that arise particularly in the relationship between different peoples, generations and species.
- to organise investigative and reportage work in the environmental field in a rigorous and thorough manner.
Prerequisites
The course does not require special prerequisites.
Course unit content
Course programme:
The integrated course is divided into two teachings, "Sociology of Environmental Communication" and "Journalism and Environmental Investigation”.
Sociology of Environmental Communication
The first part of the course aims to explore the issue of environmental communication with a socio-cultural slant. It will start with a general introduction to environmental communication, defining its characteristics, its different spheres, the types of actors involved, the different possible languages and forms of expression, with particular attention to risk communication.
Some of the most important linguistic categories used in this field will be analysed and discussed: 'environment', 'nature', 'landscape', 'ecology', 'territory', from a cultural point of view and in relation to the possible cognitive repercussions. Some iconic images (earthrise, the hole in the ozone layer, the march of progress, the Keeling curve, hockey stick graph, the images of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, etc.) that have marked the evolution of the environmental debate will also be analysed.
The different possible approaches to the environmental issue (conservationism, scientific environmentalism, ecomodernism, ecology of the poor, etc.) will also be briefly recalled in order to highlight the underlying philosophical and epistemological premises of the different types of communication.
Some of the paradigmatic concepts of the contemporary debate will be critically discussed (sustainability, sustainable development, green growth, circular economy, post-growth, degrowth, buen vivir, transition, anthropocene, capitalocene, chthulucene, etc.).
We will then proceed by addressing how some of the major ecological issues - biodiversity loss, resource depletion, pollution, environmental conflicts, climate change and climate refugees - enter the public debate, through information, the media, the cultural industry and the interventions of political, economic and social actors.
The topic of positive and negative emotions related to the environment and the ecological and climate crisis and the problem of environmental and climate denialism will be explored.
In conclusion, the importance of a socio-environmental public space for discussion will be emphasised, referring to the role of scientists and post-normal science, the issues of the right to information, democratic participation and ecological democracy.
Journalism and Environmental Enquiry
The second part of the course is dedicated to the development of environmental journalism and investigation, with a focus on the state of environmental information in Italy.
Some of the central themes of the environmental and climate crisis will be explored through some of the most interesting investigations and reports on pollution, the sixth extinction of species, waste, global warming, environmental refugees, green technologies and rare metals, food and the food industry, etc., with reference to works in print, photo and video reports, film products.
The issue of the risks and victims of environmental journalism in the world will also be explored.
A number of environmental journalists will be invited to talk about their approach, methodologies and results.
In conclusion, an attempt will be made to clarify the challenges of environmental journalism, identifying the characteristics and qualities underlying good investigative work, and students will be invited to try their hand at environmental reporting.
Full programme
Part one:
- Introduction to environmental communication
- The birth of the modern environmentalist vision
- Ecology of the mind and ecology of ideas
- Scenarios, gazes and imaginaries
- Anthropocene, Capitalocene, Chtulucene, etc., the paradigmatic concepts of contemporary environmental debate
- The emotional climate in the ecological and climate crisis
- The imaginary of the crisis and the crisis of the imaginary
- The sixth extinction of species
- The overexploitation of resources
- The communication of risk
- Global warming and socio-political dynamics
- Postnormal science and scientific information
- The climate and environmental crisis between (dis)information and problem awareness
- Denial, denialism, and environmental communication
Part two
- Introduction to environmental journalism
- The antecedents of environmental journalism
- The key events in the birth of environmental journalism
- The origins of environmental journalism
- Environmental reporting in Italy
- Environmental journalism: international voices
- Environmental journalism: Italian voices
- Pollution and poisons investigations (Part I, II and III)
- The contamination of communities: from pollution to ecomafias
- The premises of environmental reportage
- Designing an environmental reportage (Part I and II)
Bibliography
For the first part of Sociology of Environmental Communication
Students are asked to choose two among the following books:
a) Stella Levantesi, I bugiardi del clima. Power, politics, psychology of those who deny the crisis of the century, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2021.
b) Marco Sbardella, La sostenibilità scomunicata. What we are doing wrong and why, Maggioli Editore, Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna, 2019.
c) Marco Deriu, Regeneration. Per una democrazia capace di futuro, Castelvecchi, Rome, 2022.
d) Marco Deriu, Osman Arrobbio, Niccolò Bertuzzi (a cura di) Il clima dell’informazione, Castelvecchi, Roma, 2024 (in uscita per metà novembre 2024).
For the second part of Journalism and Environmental Investigation
The students will have to design and carry out an original environmental investigation on a topic or event of their choice, using all the tools at their disposal (journalistic sources; scientific sources; reports, databases, and documentary sources; interviews and field investigations; images or videos).
Teaching methods
The course will use and integrate different teaching methods: frontal lessons; dialectical and interactive lessons with prompts and moments of discussion; analysis of texts; viewing, commentary and discussion of films and documentaries. The course will also include seminar meetings with scholars and experts in the field of environmental journalism and information. The course will be delivered in presence. The video and written material of the course will be published on the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
Preparation for the examination - for both frequent and non-attending students - consists of general preparatory work that consists of reviewing the topics covered in the course (slides and videos uploaded to Elly), studying two background text and preparing an environmental report that will be discussed during the examination.
Thus, the examination will consist of a discussion of the chosen survey texts and a discussion of the survey work submitted by the student.
Directions for environmental reporting:
The environmental reportage of at least 5/7 pages (10,000-14,000 characters including spaces) must clearly state the different types of direct or indirect sources used with the relevant references (journalistic sources; scientific sources; reports, databases, and documentary sources; interviews and field surveys; images or videos).
The work should be sent by e-mail at least four days before the appeal to marco.deriu@unipr.it and will be discussed orally on the date of the appeal.
Research and in-depth work for small groups (2-3 persons max.) can also be agreed upon, provided that the individual contribution in writing by each participant is clearly indicated in the report.
The report, which forms the basis of the examination, will be evaluated according the following criteria:
-Consistency with course topics;
-originality in the theme or the proposed line of enquiry;
-amplitude and appropriateness of documentary references;
-quality and originality of sources (direct field collection of data, interviews, documents, images will be valued more highly than a collection based solely on indirect sources).
-ability to investigate, problematise and critically discuss the implications of the theme or event analysed;
-Expository skills and quality of writing.
For the first part the student or student who does not demonstrate an adequate understanding of the issues analyzed or the underlying themes of the course will be rated as not sufficient. Will be graded: sufficient or fair the student or student who demonstrates a proprietary handling of the terms, concepts, and data related to the texts analyzed; fair or good who in the study will show a greater capacity for in-depth study and critical reworking; very good or excellent who will have expanded the study in an original and thorough manner. Grades will be expressed in thirtieths.
For the second part, the student who has not carried out the enquiry and investigation, who has used inadequate or unreliable sources, or who does not demonstrate an adequate understanding of the issues being analysed or the underlying themes of the course will be assessed as insufficient. The student will be assessed as: sufficient or fair if he or she has diligently carried out the enquiry and investigation, demonstrating a proprietary handling of the terms, concepts and data relating to his or her subject of enquiry; fair or good if the enquiry work demonstrates a greater capacity for direct and indirect documentation and for the reworking and critical analysis of the material collected; very good or excellent if the enquiry is reinforced by fieldwork and the direct collection of data, information, images and testimonies, providing original knowledge of the theme or event identified. Grades will be expressed in thirtieths.
Other information
The course materials: slides, videos, bibliography, filmography, repertoire of tools for further study will be published during the course on the Elly 2024 platform, http://elly2024.dusic.unipr.it by entering the "Environmental Communication" course site.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
11 Sustainable cities and communities
12 Responsible consumption and production
13 Acting for the climate
